Québec-based non-profit tech accelerator Numana has announced a strategic partnership with Finnish telecom giant Nokia and United States (US)-based tech company Honeywell to help develop secure communication technologies in the era of quantum computing.
The partnership will see Honeywell and Nokia contribute technological expertise to Numana’s Kirq Quantum Communication Testbed, which allows businesses in Québec to experiment with quantum technologies for telecom networks.
Honeywell Aerospace Technologies will bring its quantum encryption technology to the testbed, while Nokia will leverage its advanced cryptographic network technologies.
Minister Christine Fréchette
“God knows that in the current geopolitical context, it’s essential to have these capabilities and infrastructure to enable secure communications.”
The partnership will serve to develop quantum-safe communication networks, Numana said, as well as provide education and training to businesses to implement this technology.
Increasingly powerful quantum computing puts traditional data encryption methods at risk, experts say, posing significant security risks to businesses, consumers, and governments. Since quantum computers could eventually solve complex problems much more quickly than traditional computers, they could be used to break through existing encryption technology.
Developing a national secure quantum communications network is also part of Canada’s National Quantum Strategy.
“It’s about reinforcing Québec’s position as a strategic world centre for technological innovation in cryptography and quantum communications,” Christine Fréchette, Québec’s Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, said in French at a press conference. “God knows that in the current geopolitical context, it’s essential to have these capabilities and infrastructure to enable secure communications.”
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The partnership announcement with two non-Canadian companies comes amid calls for the government to support domestic firms in the wake of a US-Canada trade war.
In response to a reporter’s question about the wisdom of partnering with American company Honeywell, Fréchette said that Québec only has an issue with the US administration and its tariff policy.
“Whether businesses are American, European, or foreign, if they are established in Québec and help the province move forward strategically, we will be here to support them,” Fréchette said in French.
The Québec government recently announced it would be providing up to $50 million in loans to companies affected by tariffs in the province.
François Borrelli, outgoing CEO and president of Numana, added that this partnership does not pose security risks to domestic firms as the testbed is an experimental platform. Since there is no sensitive data currently flowing, he said, the partnership doesn’t represent a security concern.
Catherine Gentilcore was appointed as Numana’s new president and CEO in February. The non-profit organization serves as a think tank and “macro-accelerator” of quantum technology development in Québec, and oversees the operation of the testbed. Numana’s corporate partners include telecom giants Bell and TELUS, which provide the physical infrastructure for the testbed, such as fibre optic networks.
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The Québec and federal governments previously committed over $10 million in 2022 and 2023 to launch the testbed. The platform allows businesses to try out new quantum technologies without disrupting any current digital communications infrastructure.
The Kirq testbed consists of three Québec hubs with several sites for partnering companies to conduct research on quantum communications. Hubs in Sherbrooke and Montréal are already up and running, while Québec City’s is expected to debut later this year, Borrelli said. It had previously been set for early 2024.
The testbed is already providing a platform for several academic and private research projects, including the Université de Sherbrooke-led CanQuEST consortium to develop hybrid quantum transducers and the QuantaMole consortium at Polytechnique Montréal for quantum molecular materials, devices, and applications.
The Sherbrooke hub is located within the provincially funded DistriQ Quantum Innovation Zone, which is home to quantum research laboratories and collaborative office space. With federal and provincial support, Sherbrooke has grown into a key hub for Canada’s quantum ecosystem, with quantum startups such as Nord Quantique and Qubic Technologies headquartered there.
Feature image courtesy Numana.